Interconnectivity between electronic devices is commonly accomplished through a connector arrangement in non-wireless signal transmission situations. One type of conventional connector system employs a single or multi-prong conductive male element, or “plug” mating with a receptacle of an electronic device having corresponding conductive terminals. These connector systems are typically utilized to interconnect audio and/or video equipment, such as televisions, stereo equipment, DVD players, etc. Each conductive contact, or terminal, on the plug represents a dedicated channel for delivering a specific type of signal from a first device coupled with the plug through cabling to a second device having the receptacle. For instance, the channels may include audio left and right channels, as well as a ground. Individual pins of certain plug also can serve as channels to transmit a video signal as composite components, such as color and luminance, which are then delivered to the receptacle where circuitry of the device recombines the signals from the channels into a representative video signal. Other types of conventional connector systems utilize a plug and receptacle arrangement, but with recessed conductive terminals formed on the plug instead of projecting prongs. Examples of these types of connector systems include universal serial bus (USB) connectors and Firewire® connectors of Apple Computer, Inc., which are often utilized to interconnect components of a computing system (e.g., input/output devices with computer hardware) but also have found use in interfacing audio and/or video equipment with a computing system. Plug-type connectors have a series of conductive lines or cabling attached to the terminals within a body of the plug, with the cabling typically extending away from the plug inside of a cable sheath to the associated electronic device.
Depending on the particular application, conventional connector systems can have a number of drawbacks. As an example, the individual prongs or recessed terminals of plug-type connectors can be fragile and subject to breakage if the plug is not in proper rotational alignment with respect to the mating receptacle upon insertion. Additionally, the relatively small form factor of multi-prong connectors (as well as USB connectors and the like) typically results in the conductive terminals of the plug and/or receptacle having durability issues after numerous cycles of mating between the connector elements.